My Turn is a forum in which readers can recount a personal health or fitness experience.

A writer's young niece and longtime friend both face their diseases bravely, inspiring others and bringing people together.

Karyn Foley goes through life avoiding her own gaze, unhappy with her self image due to body dysmorphic disorder. She has spent years camouflaging her symptoms.

A patient's dire melanoma diagnosis sits in her file for a year, prompting her to vow to be more proactive.

A patient uses lyrics and melodies to ease the boredom of a long hospital stay.

A teenage boy plunges to his death. What do we tell our kids? And how do we carry on ourselves?

When the cystic fibrosis gene was identified in 1989, a photo of its discoverer gained a spot on a family's refrigerator door. Now there's new promise for a mother to grasp for her now-adult daughter.

The hearing-impaired hover between the hearing and deaf world but fear feeling like outsiders.

Alzheimer's disease brought us together. The illness resulted in a relationship of greater intimacy and closeness than I ever could have imagined. However, when I first met Dorothy I had no idea that she would be responsible for both the happiest and saddest periods of my life.

Walking has more value than just exercise for a man who keeps his eyes peeled for fallen coins.

Faced with a diagnosis of cancer and more than six weeks of radiation, one patient made it through to better days, with her baked creations becoming the icing on the cake.

Parents shouldn't force children to sit in Santa Claus' lap. The best gift is to be in tune with your child's emotions.

When panic ensues after news of rising PSA levels, one man decides to get a grip, get better informed about prostate cancer and screening, and live life sensibly.

A teen is diagnosed with cancer, much as in '50/50.'

Trying to self-diagnose by surfing the Internet can cause a world of unnecessary pain.

When his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, a husband found Martina McBride's song about it a bit too finely tuned.

While in the waiting room before their treatment, the silence is often broken by music, even a dance step or two. It's all good medicine for people thrown together by fate, bonded by hope.

Her mother loved politics, debates and poetry. But Alzheimer's disease caused dramatic changes in the once-contrarian woman.

Despite tales of the 'torture' involved, two friends show obvious new joy and engagement in life because of physical therapy.

Hospice, loving family and friends, control over final wishes. All can combine to make a rough time as smooth as it can be.

A boyfriend suggested taking an exercise class at Skyline College in San Bruno. Once a person who loathed working out, she now has a 28-year habit.

An eye patch worn after surgery provokes a lot of pirate talk from friends and strangers.

With a diagnosis of Stage 3B non-small cell lung cancer, a woman's thought's turn to getting ready: for pleasures, routines, and endings.

Grief over the loss of a beautiful daughter leads to thoughts of the cord that binds a mother to her child forever.

She eventually came to appreciate the role mountain biking played in her husband's life. But now, it's time to mourn: My Turn

Autism: Does genetics or environment cause autism? One family who loves their autistic child hopes scientists can figure it out.

A woman's OCD-afflicted daughter finds an iPhone useful in managing her concerns.

Dance Central for Xbox 360 proves quite the workout for a mom pushing 60 who's still a 16-year-old dancer at heart.

When walking in L.A. with her child, hooked up to oxygen and a feeding tube, one mother found that the whispers and stares were too much. But other children often were the ones to break the ice.

A diet of vegetables and whole grains helps dissolve subcutaneous and visceral fat.

As Lillian Hawthorne battles breast cancer, she finds that her age is an asset, in helping her keep her fight, her journey and her life in perspective.

She thanks her dog for leading her to a more healthful lifestyle. It could have turned out tragically.

Bill Hillman remembers it clearly: "It was 4:05 a.m. on Oct. 29, 2009. I heard my wife, Dianne, say, 'I think I'm having a heart attack.' I opened my eyes and I saw her standing in the bathroom doorway. She grabbed her chest, took one step and collapsed on the bed."

After his cancer diagnosis, a doctor learns the effects the human, caring touch can have on a patient.

When the 94-year-old widow fell in her home, the author reluctantly broke a promise.

After a lifetime of assuming Mom will always be there, her daughter waivers between despair and love.

An obsessive recipe follower learns to open up when she joins a CSA and starts getting baskets of produce from local farmers.

When two people are having trouble conceiving, they don't want to hear the old clichés.

After losing weight and keeping it off on the Atkins diet, it seems odd that researchers don't try to find out why this higher-calorie option appears to be more effective.

"When I attend Sunday services, often my soul is refreshed; balance is restored. I need equilibrium because, ahem, as my daughters will aver, I tend to go a bit overboard on nutritional matters and require intervention."



A personal trainer sees the children of his clients flirting with the habits that lead to obesity and diabetes. "We discussed changing their main meals, one step at a time."

How an aging professor got on the weight-loss track with Shakespeare as his drill instructor.

A diagnosis of idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a scarring of the lungs, carries with it some sobering realities. But also new challenges.

My husband, whose idea of a nutritious lunch is grilled cheese, chips and candy, has experienced a conversion: He is swallowing large green smoothies for his midday meal.

Chided by his doctor for being woefully out of shape, he started running, and now does everything from 5Ks to marathons.

It’s when the light is just right. A moon riding high above a Southern California valley trail.

An episode of 'The Closer' sparks a personal turnaround.

Focus on what you should do, not what you shouldn't do.

At age 58, I became William's personal-training slave. He showed up punctually with a notebook, timer, Fat-O-Meter and a big smile. Whatever he said, I did — no questions, no complaints, no excuses.

As human beings, we seem unable to accept final diagnoses about our health. We have to find someone or something to blame. But finding a reason wouldn't change my diagnosis of infertility. And so, for the sake of my continued health and sanity, I had to let it go.

Retired grandma, 66, finds weightlifting battles flab and old age.

My father's confusion was the consequence of his battle with Alzheimer's disease. One day he recognized me, the next, maybe not. Though my brain could process that, my heart could not.

It took the death of her spouse before a woman began taking sun protection seriously, but now she hopes to get others motivated less painfully.

After a series of tests and misdiagnosises, he discovered his symptoms of weakness and nausea were caused by allergic reactions to cow’s milk, wheat and other foods.

A cross-country ski trip with my daughter ends with a burst bubble.